Mysore the capital for media publications

Mysore, Feb 10 (UNI) The heritage city has many 'firsts' and one among them is that it is the bastion of media publications since the pre-independence period.

The omnipresent media has helped shape public opinion in Mysore during the freedom struggle and the latest figures stand at an impressive 65.

Media experts here say that so many publication catering to a population of less than a million is good rate. This apart there are over 300 functioning dailies or weeklies in the district. This South Indian city has been a breeding ground for journals since the early stages of modern journalism.

However, quality of output and the content of some publications has been questioned recently.

Historians reckon that the history of modern journalism in Mysore could be traced to the launching of the 'Recorder' in 1859, said to be a bilingual weekly newspaper edited by a few Europeans settled in the region. It was mostly catering to the British community it contained reports apart from government notifications.

The one Kannada weekly which flourished for more than 50 years was Vrittanta Patrike which was launched in 1887 and was printed at the Wesley Press and edited by Henry Haigh. The focus was mostly on the missionary activities while bringing to the fore the various aspects of Mysore, which was yet to come into its own following the shifting of the Capital from Srirangapatna, official records say.

MORE UNI BSP RS TS1256